Boxing Ledger's Archives

Monday, November 9, 2009

On November 14th at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada, Manny Pacquiao will face Miguel Cotto at a catch weight of 145 lbs., 2 lbs. under the welterweight limit. This fight should be an action packed slugfest from the opening bell. Pacquiao is coming off a sensational 2nd round knockout of Ricky Hatton and has won his last 10 bouts. Cotto has won his last 2 bouts after being stopped in the 11th round in a war with Antonio Margarito.

Miguel Cotto must keep Pacquiao from swarming him with his whirlwind punching attack if he is to be victorious. An effective jab can neutralize Pacquiao's speed. Cotto must impose his will on Pacquiao. He needs to throw his body shots off the jab and force Pacquiao to fight backing up. Pacquiao has been stopped twice in his career from body shots and Cotto is one of the best body punchers in the sport. He cannot move toward Pacquiao without the use of a jab because he will get blitzed with punches. If Cotto does not dictate this fight with his jab, he will not defeat Pacquiao.

SIZE ADVANTAGE

Will Cotto be able to use his size advantage effectively or will he be too drained making the 145 lb. weight limit when he is used to making 147 lbs? This depends on how in shape he is now, when he starts training and how close he keeps his weight to the 145 lb. limit during training without dehydrating himself. There may not be a weight issue for Cotto like many people believe.

SPEED, COMBINATION PUNCHING& BALANCE

Cotto has fought bigger, stronger and harder punching fighters than Pacquiao has in his career. Cotto started his professional career at 135 lbs., and as his record indicates, has done well suffering only one defeat and knocking out 77% of his opponents. In contrast, Manny Pacquiao started his career at 108 lbs. and has a knockout percentage of 69%. Cotto has shown that he can take a punch pretty well from bigger punchers. Can Manny hurt him? No matter how good a fighter is, if he keeps getting blistered with punches, he will falter. Has Cotto ever been in the ring with someone so quick? Probably not, and this is another important factor in determining the outcome of the fight.

Manny Pacquiao is a whirlwind puncher and lands his shots from all angles with lightning speed. Pacquiao moves in and out quickly and uses his jab as a range finder. Sometimes, he can be a little off balanced after he fires a combination, but Pacquiao's trainer Freddie Roach has drastically helped him improve his footwork.

Pacquiao is elusive and boxes better now than earlier in his career. Manny possesses good head movement and keeps fighters a little hesistant from throwing their shots, which enables him to land clean, effective punches. Cotto is slower, at times flat footed and looks to counter punch. It's hard to counter punch if you don't match your opponent's hand speed. That leaves Cotto with one option. His timing placing his punches must be perfect because Manny has the definitive edge in hand speed.

Pacquiao must make Cotto fight at a very fast pace. He needs to make Cotto use a lot of energy, especially with Cotto having to make the 145 lb. weight limit because he might be drained and tired if the fight gets into the later rounds. Pacquiao should not have a problem being dehydrated because he is the smaller man moving up in weight. Pacquiao needs to use his speed advantage against Cotto because he does not want to stand there and trade shots with the bigger puncher.

IN THE LATER ROUNDS

If this fight gets into the later rounds and Cotto is not dehydrated from making the 145 lb. weight limit, than he will have an advantage over Pacquiao. If Cotto presses forward at his pace and Pacquiao exerts more energy than he wants, than the advantage goes to the bigger man. Pacquiao looked tired in his two fights with Juan Manuel Marquez in the later rounds. Cotto probably will put more pressure on Pacquiao than Marquez did. However, Cotto is unlikely to counter punch Pacquiao as effectively as Marquez was able to do in both of their bouts. Marquez matches Pacquiao's hand speed better than Cotto because he is a more efficient counter puncher.

CONFIDENCE

Pacquiao comes into this fight extremely confident riding a 10 fight win streak. Cotto still looks like he doubts his abilities after losing to Antonio Margarito. In his last two fights, when Cotto has taken a clean punch, his body language suggests that he is having flashbacks to the war he fought with Margarito. He looks like he is re-evaluating the situation about whether he wants to engage. This showed more in Cotto's fight with Joshua Clottey than against Michael Jennings. However, Cotto came out victorious in both contests and hurt Clottey in the 6th round. In the later rounds against Clottey, as opposed to the Margarito fight, Cotto was resilient and fought back well enough to come away with a 12 round split decision victory. Now, this leaves the question: Is Cotto's confidence restored after coming away with the victory over Clottey? Will shades over the Margarito fight be a lingering cloud over Cotto? How will he react when Pacquiao lands a clean, effective punch? We'll see on November 14th, but Cotto does possess the punching power to take away Pacquiao's confidence with one punch. This will be the hardest puncher Pacquiao has ever faced.

STYLES

Being a southpaw, Manny Pacquiao presents a problem to Miguel Cotto. There are other factors stated above as how Pacquiao has some advantages too, but fighting from that stance may be too tough for Cotto to handle. The awkward angles Pacquiao throws his punches, along with his speed and balance, may keep Cotto off balanced all night and he may never get close to landing an effective punch.

Boxing's oldest saying is "Styles Make Fights". Boxing's next oldest slogan may be that "A good big man, will beat a good small man". I think the latter statement will come to be true on November 14th.

HOW I SEE THIS FIGHT PLAYING OUT?

In the early going, Miguel Cotto will press forward and Manny Pacquiao will box. Pacquiao will land many of his quick punches in combination, but Cotto will be resilient. Cotto will continue to impose his will on the smaller man. Pacquiao will exert a lot of energy boxing him and as a result, Cotto will get closer and land effective shots. In the middle rounds, I see Cotto and Pacquiao exchanging quality punches with Cotto landing the harder shots. Sorry Pacquiao fans, but I see Cotto stopping Pacquiao with a left hook to the body in the 8th round.

Saturday, November 7, 2009

Heading into a rematch with Glen Johnson, Chad Dawson had many questions to answer to the boxing pundits. First, is he durable enough in the later rounds? Next, how would he look against Johnson, who has proved to be his toughest opponent to date? No, Dawson's toughest opponent was not Tomasz Adamek. Adamek may have been younger and in his prime when compared to Johnson, but Dawson had a rougher night against Johnson. No one questioned Dawson's 12 round unanimous decision victory over Adamek. Many fight fans thought that he lost the first encounter to Johnson due to Johnson's effective aggression and clean punching. That is what led to this rematch occurring. Lastly, can Dawson close the show impressively with a knockout? Stay pretty with MMA headgear.

Tonight, Dawson showed the mark of a maturing young fighter. Why did he show the mark of a maturing young fighter? Dawson dominated a tough veteran fighter, who gave him hell in their first fight in 2008. He thoroughly outclassed Glen Johnson in their rematch en route to a clear 12 round unanimous decision victory.

In the 1st round, Johnson came out aggressively throwing the jab. A southpaw, Dawson fired his right jab and followed it with straight lefts. Dawson started to attack Johnson's body with the straight left and immediately looked much more composed than in their first bout. Dawson found his range quickly and started to land some hard, accurate combinations. With Dawson having the clear edge in hand speed, Johnson was reluctant to trade at the pace he did with him previously. Also, Johnson did something he had not done in their first fight that really hurt him tonight. Johnson was firing his shots from too far away, which enabled Dawson to counter punch him easier.

In the 3rd round, Dawson was countering too quickly for the 40 year old veteran to answer. Johnson was getting beat to the punch by left uppercuts and vicious right hooks. Dawson was clearly into his rhythm by the 4th round as he nailed Johnson with his crisp combinations and was no where to be found when Johnson wanted to fire back.

Dawson was more willing to trade in the 5th round. He stopped moving as much, which led to Johnson getting closer and landing some effective rights to the head. Johnson was scoring for most of the 6th round, but Dawson started to take control again toward the end of the round and cruised from there.

Johnson was frustrated. One could see that age had taken a toll on him just as much as Dawson's much improved ring smarts. Dawson learned a lot since their first bout. He figured out how to stay away from exchanges with Johnson by dictating the pace of the fight from the outside by utilizing his right jab. Then, he would move in and land his combinations and get right back into his range where he was comfortably controlling the fight. Overall, Dawson showed that he was mentally sharper in this fight with Johnson.

From the 8th round on, Dawson continued to hammer Johnson with body shots, right hooks and straight lefts. Johnson was never endangered of being knocked down, but he was getting to a point where he was not competitive anymore.

Dawson's fights seems to have the same pattern. At times, he appears to have the talent to take out the opposition, but chooses to fight a more defensive fight. Dawson did not take the risk of trying to knockout Johnson. Perhaps, it was because he remembered the events that transpired from their previous meeting? Or maybe Dawson figured why engage in more exchanges when he is dictating the fight?

The following facts remain clear: Chad Dawson is an extremely talented fighter, who has improved with each fight mentally and physically. Dawson showed a great depth of acquired knowledge from his previous experiences in the ring. He was certainly controlling the fight and did not falter at all in the later rounds. Dawson finished the fight at the same pace he started. His combinations looked sharp and he appeared more sure of himself than he has in past fights.

Dawson might be the best in the light heavyweight division. He fought the most effective way for him to succeed. Who could fault him for doing that? Could he have been more aggressive and attempted to go for a knockout against Johnson? Maybe fans want him to go for the knockout more, myself included, but doesn't Chad have to do what's best for Chad and his career? After all, he got the results he was seeking. Well, he's obviously making the right decisions and sports an undefeated record that now stands at (29-0, 17 KO's) and has a variety of options ahead of him. Some possible future opponents include undefeated and hard hitting Tavoris Cloud (20-0, 18 KO's), Jean Pascal (24-1, 16 KO's) and ring legends Bernard Hopkins (49-5-1, 32 KO's) and Roy Jones Jr. (54-5, 40 KO's) Hopkins and Jones may fight each other early next year if they both win their upcoming bouts on December 2nd. Dawson could face Hopkins or Jones in the middle or late part of 2010.

Alfredo Angulo KO's Harry Joe Yorgey in 3 rounds

Alfredo Angulo (17-1, 14 KO's) battered and destroyed a previously undefeated Harry Joe Yorgey (22-1-1, 10 KO's), scoring a brutal 3rd round knockout. Angulo started fast, landing overhand rights and applying a lot of pressure. He attacked Yorgey's body as he was against the ropes. In the 2nd round, Yorgey landed a solid right and left uppercut. Angulo continued to pressure Yorgey. Then, Angulo nailed Yorgey with a hard, solid right hand to the head that dropped him. Angulo chased Yorgey after he got up, landing a left hook to the body. Angulo connected again with an overhand right that wobbled Yorgey. Both exchanged a barrage of punches with Angulo landing the cleaner shots.

Unfortunately, Yorgey suffered a traumatic end in the 3rd round. A right hand from Angulo rocked Yorgey again. Then, Angulo landed a left hook to the head. Finally, Angulo hit Yorgey again with a flush left hook to the head that left Yorgey unconscious on the canvas. The referee or Yorgey's corner could have stopped this fight sooner. However, Yorgey was still throwing, but his punches were not having the same effect. Hang a punching bag without drilling with a heavy bag stand..

Sometimes a fighter's heart is bigger than his head. That's when a referee or especially a fighter's corner needs to take control. This clearly did not take place tonight. Yorgey was getting battered, but was too tough to quit. When Angulo moved in again and inflicted more damaging punches, the referee should have stepped in to halt the bout or Yorgey's corner men could have thrown in the towel before Angulo's destructive left hook knocked him out. One could see where this fight was going. Or maybe some could not? Angulo was coming on too strong for Yorgey to handle, but Yorgey had so much determination to keep fighting. A message to Yorgey's corner: "It's better to admit your losses, so one can come back to fight another day." Let's all hope Yorgey will recover quickly after suffering this devastating knockout.

Before I recap this fight, let me state how fights are scored: Clean punching, effective aggressiveness, ring generalship and defense with a strong emphasis on clean effective punching.

I scored this about against popular opinion. I had Valuev winning this fight 8 rounds to 4 or 116-112. Official judges scored the fight 114-114 and 116-112 twice for David Haye.

I was watching the same fight as everyone else and here's my round-by-round recap followed by an explanation as I still stand by my scoring in favor of Valuev.

Round 1: Valuev is imposing his will on Haye and firing his jab. Haye is not getting his punches off. (Scored for Valuev 10-9)

Round 2: Haye is moving and jabbing to the body. Valuev is not jabbing as much and Haye is getting in and out easier. (Scored for Haye 10-9)

Round 3: Haye lands an overhand right and followed it with a straight left jab. (Scored for Haye 10-9)

Round 4: Valuev trapped Haye in the corner momentarily and lands a left hook. Valuev lands an overhand right. Haye is fighting from a distance and lands an overhand right. Both fighters exchange left jabs. Valuev lands a right to the body. Valuev pushes Haye back with the jab.(Scored for Valuev 10-9)

Round 5: Valuev is aggressive firing the jab. Haye is not busy. Haye lands an overhand right. Valuev connects with an overhand right with Haye's back to the ropes. (Scored for Valuev 10-9)

Round 6: Valuev continues to impose his will; jabs as he comes forward. Valuev lands a left hook. He connects with a right to the body as Haye is cornered. Haye fires and lands a left hook. Haye is running. (Scored for Valuev 10-9)

Round 7: Valuev scores with a left hook. Valuev is chasing Haye back with his jab. Haye is not working the body. Valuev connects with an overhand right. Haye is not throwing. Valuev charges in, but Haye nails him with a big overhand right. (Scored for Valuev 10-9)

Round 8: Haye is feinting a lot, but not throwing. Valuev lands a left hook. Haye connected with another overhand right. Haye jabs, but Valuev dictating the pace of the bout. (Scored for Valuev 10-9)

Round 9: Haye is making Valuev miss, but Valuev continues to press forward. Haye lands a combination. Valuev jabs and comes forward. Valuev hits Haye with a left hook. Haye fires a jab to Valuev's body. (Scored for Valuev 10-9)

Round 10: Haye connects with a big left hook. Valuev is pressing forward, but Haye is making him miss with his punches. (Scored for Haye 10-9)

Round 11: Haye lands a clean overhand right. Valuev lands a jab followed by a right. Haye jabs to the body. Valuev jabs back. Valuev connects with a short left hook. Haye hits Valuev with an overhand right. (Scored for Valuev 10-9)

Round 12: Valuev is busy chasing Haye. Haye connects with a jab-left hook-overhand right combination. Valuev hits Haye in the body with a right. Haye connects with another overhand right. A left hook-overhand right combination by Haye stuns Valuev. (Scored for Haye 10-9)

Overall Summary: Okay, so here's my explanation on scoring this bout for Valuev. First, let's look at effective aggression. Clearly, that belongs to Valuev as he pressed forward the entire fight using his jab and dictating the pace.

Secondly, the edge in clean punching goes to David Haye. However, here's where I differ from many observers. While Haye landed the cleaner punches, I asked myself did Haye control at least 2 of the 3 minutes of every round? He definitely flurried and landed some quality shots, but does that alone win you the round? To me, the answer is no unless the clean punches are effective enough that they appear to really hurt the opponent. Valuev didn't seem fazed by Haye's punches as he continued to charge forward.

Next, who gets the edge in ring generalship? Haye did not appear to me as if he was out boxing Valuev, rather it looked like he was running from the pressure Valuev was bringing. Again, Haye was not scoring enough to say he was dictating this fight. I've seen fighters such as Muhammad Ali score frequently when fighting backwards and controlling rounds doing it. Haye was not that effective fighting backward. I gave the edge in ring generalship to Valuev. Valuev scored with his punches coming forward just as much as Haye moving backwards. Also, remember Leonard vs. Hagler? How did you score that fight? Did you score it for the guy flurrying or the guy bringing the fight?

Finally, I gave the edge in defense to Haye. He made Valuev miss with punches due to his boxing ability and his well timed feints. Valuev was there to be hit all night, but Haye could have taken more of an initiative to make this fight not appear close. He did not do so.

I now presented my case on why I thought Valuev won. What do you think?

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Mark de Mori is a 6'2 233 lb. rising heavyweight contender. Nicknamed "The Dominator", Mark resides in Perth, Western Australia and has a record of 16 wins, 1 loss, 2 draws and 14 KO's. He recently signed a contract with Don King Productions and will be fighting in the United States again in the near future. Mark was gracious enough to take some time out of his busy schedule to do an interview.

Q: You recently signed a 3 year deal with Don King Productions. Don King is perhaps the world’s most known promoter. How does it feel to know that he sees you as a potential star in the heavyweight division?

A: I have been with King for almost three years. Having him backing me is almost surreal coming from a place like Perth, Western Australia. My manager Ted Allen and I are looking for big fights. We are hoping to secure a fight with a big heavyweight name as soon as possible. This year has been frustrating with some proposed big fights coming apart at the seams at the last minute.

Q: Some fight fans may not have heard of you in the United States yet. Do you have a message for them?

A: Watch and see. I see a lot of talking happening with most fighters. I’m just interested in proving what I can do by testing my abilities against highly regarded fighters. I want the tests because I do the hard work. If you are sick of seeing fat, lazy heavyweights then I will be a breath of fresh air.

Q: Sometimes the media criticizes the current state of the heavyweight division because of the depth it had in the 60’s and 70’s with Ali, Frazier, Foreman, Liston, Lyle, Norton, Quarry, Ellis, Patterson, Bonavena, Mildenberger.....and the list goes on. What are your thoughts about the present era of heavyweight fighters?

A: The Klitschko’s are very good fighters. Maybe if they were American, the Western media would be celebrating the heavyweight division?It is also hard to compare the action of past heavyweights as many past heavyweights would have been cruiserweights today. The division needs some new blood, but I think for the next ten years the Eastern Europeans will be leading the way.

Q: Both Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko are on top of their game right now. I was at Madison Square Garden when Calvin Brock fought Wladimir Klitschko. At times, Brock was successful when he went to the body. If you got the opportunity to fight either Wladimir or Vitali, what would your strategy be?

A: They are both different fighters and there is not much you can do they haven’t seen before. I think to beat the best you need more than tactics. You need an unshakable will and desire to win at all costs. Most of their challengers have seemed happy to get paid and last as long as possible.

Q: Who would you like to fight right now and why?

A: Evander Holyfield or James Toney as they are two of my boxing inspirations. To be honest, I really don’t care as long as they are highly regarded I will be interested and motivated.

Q: What are some of the things you are working on in the gym now to prepare for your next fight?

A: I watch boxing every day and try to find new things to add to my arsenal. I get bored if I don’t have new things to work on. I have been told I will fight a top ranked heavyweight by the end of the year, so now I am just focusing on getting in fight shape asap. I am hearing December 18 as my next fight in St. Louis.

Q: When can fight fans expect to see you fight in the United States again?

A: If all goes to plan, by the end of 2009 in St.Louis again. They didn’t like me last time I fought there, so I look forward to the same hostile reception in December.

Q: How many times would you like to fight in 2010?

A: I want quality not quantity. I’d rather have one big fight than 10 pointless fights. It’s time to see how I do against top fighters. Anything else will feel like I’m treading water.

Q: The earliest fight I remember watching was “Sugar” Ray Leonard defeating Donny Lalonde. Then, I saw Mike Tyson knockout Frank Bruno in their first fight and I became an avid boxing fan. What was the first boxing match you saw?

A: The first fight that really made me a fan was when Tyson and Bruno fought for the second time.Mike Tyson is the reason I started following boxing. Watching him destroy competition with ease like he was some sort of immortal gladiator, but then he ran into a fearless Evander Holyfield!

Q: When you were growing up, who were your favorite fighters to watch? What characteristics have you taken from them?

A: Mike Tyson for a long time and in the last few years James Toney, Pernell Whitaker and Floyd Mayweather have been my teachers as great defensive fighters.

Q: Do you try and emulate any fighter’s style?

A: It depends on my opponent. I change my style depending on my opponents strengths and weaknesses. I train and teach myself, so I like to see footage of my opponent. Then, I change my style to suit the opponent.

Q: What is your favorite punch to throw?

A: Left hook to the body. I have knocked a few opponents out with body shots. I take so much satisfaction seeing them hurt with body shots, much more than a knockout from a head punch.

Q: Do you help train any fighters in the gym in between your fights?

A: I have trained fighters amateur and pro a little, but I have never had one of my fighters lose a fight. It’s not something I want to do seriously.

Q: Do you have any hobbies or activities you participate in when you are not training for an upcoming bout?

A: I like surfing, snorkeling and anything to do with the beach.

Q: What is your biggest motivation?

A: Not having to get a normal 9 to 5 boring job! Also, proving to people I can make it much further than they ever thought.

Q: You suffered your first and only career loss by a knockout in the 1st round to John Wyborn on September 17, 2004. However, you followed that up with a 3rd round TKO win over Vai Toevai on February 24, 2006 in your next bout. Can you describe what your layoff from the ring was like in between those fights? How difficult was that loss for you to overcome?

A: The loss was good for me. It made me look at where I was heading and to make some changes.The layoff was great because I was really sick of boxing even before my loss, just burnt out and sick of it all. I came back with more enthusiasm.

Q: Who or what has been your biggest inspiration in and out of the ring?

A: I just love to train and fight. I guess you can say my biggest motivation is watching people that can’t do what they love shuffle through life without a purpose. I have worked so hard that I can now do what I love and that is very rare.

Q: Can you describe how fighters such as Kostya Tszyu and Jeff Fenech helped to bring more attention to up and coming fighters from Australia?

A: I was not into boxing when Fenech was around, but I did watch Kostya. At the least, just having someone doing well meant boxing was mentioned because in Australia it is not one of the top sports.

Q: What do you think you would be doing if you were not a fighter?

A: I don’t think I'd like to know. Boxing is a good game for people with a killer instinct. It gives me a release and a focus. Without it, I don’t know what I would be doing.

Q: Lastly, what is the one thing about Mark de Mori that the boxing world does not know that you want them to know?

A: That I am willing to take on the top dogs, prove myself, always be 100% prepared and if I don’t make it, I will have no regrets. I want to thank my sponsor Alan Burns because his support has allowed me to train properly and become a totally different fighter.

I want to thank Mark again for taking the time to answer my questions. I wish him the very best with his professional career! For more information on Mark, please visit http://markdemori.com

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Round 1: Edwards is not initiating the exchanges. Litzau is looking to counter punch. Litzau is starting to jab and land the right. (Scored for Litzau 10-9)

Round 2: Edwards comes forward. Litzau jabs and lands a left hook. Edwards momentarily switches to a southpaw stance and lunges in with his punches. Litzau fires a right. (Scored for Litzau 10-9)

Round 3: Litzau hits Edwards with a straight right and stuns Edwards with the left hook. Litzau jumps on him. Edwards slips through the ropes (no knockdown). Litzau lands an overhand right. (Scored for Litzau 10-9)

Round 4: Litzau is connecting with overhand rights. Litzau lands a right uppercut to the body. Litzau suffers a cut next to his left eye. Edwards is roughing up Litzau on the inside and connects with a short left hook followed by an overhand right. (Scored for Litzau 10-9)

Round 5: Litzau lands an overhand right and Edwards counters with a right to the body. Edwards connects with a straight left and follows it with a left to the body. Litzau connects with a right to the body. Litzau tags Edwards with a right-left hook combination. Litzau stuns Edwards with a left hook followed by a right. (Scored for Litzau 10-9)

Round 6: Edwards hits Litzau with an overhand right and straight left. Edwards is elusive, moving in and out. Litzau is landing the bigger punches and connects with another overhand right. (Scored for Edwards 10-9)

Round 8: Litzau is dictating the pace. Both fighters exchange right hands. (Scored for Litzau 10-9)

Round 9: An overhand right hits Litzau. Litzau's work rate is declining a bit. Edwards is pressing the action. (Scored for Edwards 10-9)

Round 10: A right - left hook combination by Litzau tags Edwards. Edwards is holding a lot as he tries to smother Litzau's punches. (Scored for Litzau 10-9)

Overall Summary: In the junior lightweight main event, Jason Litzau improved to (26-2, 21 KO's) with a 10 round unanimous decision victory over Johnnie Edwards (15-5-1, 8 KO's).Litzau has won his last 3 fights after being knocked out in the 8th round in a bout against Robert "The Ghost" Guerrero. Edwards, who is a United States Marine, fought in front of a hometown crowd of his fellow United States Marines at the Marine Core Air Station in Jacksonville, North Carolina. The official judges scored the bout 97-93, 98-91 and 99-91. I scored the bout 97-93 or 7 rounds to 3 for Jason Litzau.

Litzau was aggressive, but did not fight reckless as he has done at times in his prior bouts. He was patient and clearly possessed more punching power than Edwards. Edwards landed some good clean shots, but never hurt the young man from St. Paul, Minnesota. Litzau fought most of the fight at a distance looking to counter punch Edwards as he came forward. However, Litzau was successful when he took the initiative to land his left hook and straight right. It was a good win for Litzau as he looks to move into contention to get another shot at a major world title in the near future.

Figueroa and Holloway Battle to a 6 Round Technical Draw

In a welterweight bout, 31 year old Frankie Figueroa of the Bronx, New York fought to a 6 round technical draw with Rashad Holloway. The official judges scored the bout 57-57, 58-56 for Holloway and 58-56 for Figueroa. I scored the 1st round even and gave Figueroa every round following it.

Coming off of a devastating 4th round knockout loss to Randall Bailey, Figueroa was the aggressor throughout the fight. Holloway had a height and reach advantage, but never utilized it. He instead chose to counter punch the southpaw Figueroa as he pressed the action. The problem was Holloway never let his hands go enough to dictate the pace of any of the rounds. He never used the jab to control range and was not as busy as Figueroa. Holloway landed some solid shots, but they came in spurts.

On the other hand, Figueroa could have been busier when he got on the inside. He chose to tie up Holloway in close range, wore him down and controlled the pace with his effective aggression. Whether it was due to Figueroa being on the attack or choosing to be the counter puncher, Holloway just did not outwork Figueroa and was lucky to receive a draw. Rashad Holloway's record now stands at (11-1-2, 5 KO's) while Francisco Figueroa is now (20-3-1, 13 KO's).

Yaundale Evans Defeated Jason Rorie by a 4 Round Unanimous Decision

Round 1: Rorie is very aggressive and is throwing and landing some left hooks. Evans is more composed throwing combinations and landing the straight left. A right hook from Evans stuns Rorie. Evans floors Rorie with a right uppercut-straight left combination. (Scored for Evans 10-8)

Round 2: Rorie continues to be aggressive and is firing punches like a whirlwind. A right hook-straight left combination by Evans drops Rorie. (Scored for Evans 10-8)

Round 3: Evans is systematically breaking down Rorie with right hooks and straight lefts. (Scored for Evans 10-9)

Round 4: More toe-to-toe action with both fighters throwing bombs in the corner. Evans suffers a cut near his right eye and has blood covering the right side of his face. A left hook by Rorie opened the cut on Evans. (Scored for Evans 10-9)

Overall Summary: This was an action packed junior lightweight bout. Yaundale Evans is a southpaw from East Cleveland, Ohio. He has fought in over 100 amateur fights and improves his record to (3-0, 2 KO's). Jason Rorie was aggressive and tough, but reckless with his punches, leaving himself open to counters from Evans. Rorie's record falls to (5-5-2, 2 KO's) and only has 5 amateur fights to his credit. The official judges scores were 40-34 twice and 39-35. I scored the bout 40-34 for Evans.

In some United States Marine amateur bouts, Tommy Roque of Dunkirk, New York defeated James Jordan of Houston, Texas by a 3 round decision. Roque dropped Jordan with a solid left hook to the body in the 2nd round. Also, Angel Garcia won a 3 round decision over Pierre Webster.

Round 1: Toe-to-toe action at a very fast pace. Perez landed clean left hooks and rights to the head. A left uppercut split the guard of Agbeko. Agbeko was successful scoring to the body and head. (Scored for Perez 10-9)

Round 2: An overhand right scores for Agbeko. Perez hits Agbeko with a left uppercut-left hook combination. Back & forth action - Both fighters landing clean punches, but Perez's punches seem more damaging. After the round, Agbeko spits blood into the bucket in his corner. (Scored for Perez 10-9)Round 3: Agbeko is busier, but Perez lands a big right. Agbeko nails Perez with a solid right. Perez fires and lands a left uppercut. Agbeko scores with some effective body shots. (Scored for Agbeko 10-9)Round 4: Agbeko gets a little sloppy throwing his punches. Perez continues to fight composed. (Scored for Perez 10-9)Round 5: Perez sends Agbeko into the ropes. Perez lands a left hook. Agbeko is working hard and landing his shots, but Perez's punches look more effective (Scored for Perez 10-9)Round 6: Perez is placing the hook well in their heated exchanges. Agbeko slowed a bit as Perez gets his punches off first. Agbeko comes on strong late and lands a left hook to the body. (Scored for Perez 10-9)

Round 7: Agbeko lands an overhand right and some left hooks. Agbeko has stepped up his punch output. He lands a right to Perez's body. (Scored for Agbeko 10-9)Round 8: Early on, Perez imposes his will. Agbeko closed the round strong by pressing forward and landing solid body shots. (Even 10-10)Round 9: The fight continues at a furious pace. Both fighters are taking each others' shots and throwing combinations back. (Even 10-10)

Round 10: Agbeko is beating Perez to the punch, landing the overhand right. Agbeko goes down. There was a clash of heads and Agbeko turned with his glove touching his forehead when Perez hit him with a left hook to the body. The referee never saw the clash of heads and as a result, he never called for time and ruled it a knockdown. Showtime's replay indicates that there was in fact a clash of heads. Before every fight, the referee says, "protect yourself at all times" and Agbeko clearly did not at that moment. I scored the round (Even 9-9) because I had Agbeko winning the round before the knockdown. I cannot score a two point round for Perez when Agbeko was clearly winning this round.

Round 11: Perez has cuts over both eyes. Perez was throwing and landing more shots early, but Agbeko landed many of his shots in the second half of the round. (Scored for Agbeko)Round 12: Both fighters are landing clean right hands and fighting with energy like it is the first round. (Even 10-10)Overall Summary: Not much was known about Yonnhy Perez (20-0, 14 KO's) heading into his fight with Joseph Agbeko (27-2, 22 KO's) on Saturday night. Perez is a hard hitting Colombian fighter, who now resides in Santa Fe Springs, California and has 247 amateur bouts to his credit. He came off an impressive 12th round TKO of Silence Mabuza in South Africa, who had previously been a tough opponent against Mexico's Rafael Marquez in two bouts. The pressure was on Joseph "King Kong" Agbeko to have a solid outing defending his newly won IBF title against Perez, an unknown fighter to the average boxing fan here in the United States, after defeating the "Raging Bull" Vic Darchinyan in impressive fashion. Train your hands with boxing gloves by Everlast and Ringside.

In a fight promoted as "Halloween Thrilla," fight fans witnessed a "Fight of the Year" candidate between two of the world's elite bantamweights at the Treasure Island Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. The punches thrown in this fight seemed to occur at 100 miles per hour. It was almost impossible at times to score this bout appropriately due to the non-stop action with both fighters landing fast, clean shots. The official judges scored the bout 116-111 twice and 117-110 in favor of Perez by unanimous decision. I scored the bout 116-114 for Perez, but I had four rounds even. This may have been the closest fight I ever scored and I do not have any problem with the official ringside judges scoring the fight the way they did.

Both Agbeko and Perez fought their hearts out from the opening bell at a pace that never slowed down. Perez was very effective breaking through Agbeko's defense with his left uppercut. He also was successful landing left hooks to Agbeko's head. Agbeko was able to score with sound body punching and overhand rights. Both fighters traded many hard right hand shots throughout the fight.

With all the clean punches that were landing, the fight was nearly impossible to score. The one question I asked myself was: Who was landing the more effective shots? To me, it was decisively clear that while both men landed many clean shots the entire fight, Perez's punches had more effect. Although Perez's face looked more damaged after the bout, he reacted better during the exchanges when he was hit by Agbeko. At times, it was more clear when Perez landed because he caught Agbeko flush on the chin, while many of Agbeko's punches to Perez's head hit his gloves with some punches scoring. I gave the edge in body punching to Agbeko, but it came in spurts throughout the rounds.

This fight warrants a rematch for two simple reasons. First, it was close as Agbeko fought well enough to earn a chance to regain his title. Secondly, if anyone missed seeing it on Showtime, they sure will not want to miss a rematch as this fight was as competitive as one can be. Another possible fight in the near future for Yonnhy Perez could be a bout with Japan's Hozumi Hasegawa, who is regarded by many boxing experts as the best bantamweight (119 lbs.) in the world. A match up with Perez and Hasegawa is extremely intriguing. You do not have to take my word for it. Check out the videos of Hozumi Hasegawa on this blog through You Tube. Perez vs. Hasegawa would be another great fight that could very well be a potential "Fight of the Year" candidate if it happens in 2010. Save $10 on your subscription to SI.

Round 1: Demarco is throwing his jab. Alfaro is looking to land a right hand lead. (Scored for Demarco 10-9)

Round 2: Demarco lands a left uppercut and follows it with a right hook. A right uppercut sends Alfaro back. Alfaro started to bleed slightly from his nose after absorbing a straight left from Demarco. (Scored for Demarco 10-9)Round 3: Demarco hits Alfaro with a straight left to momentarily stop him from pressing forward. Demarco is very busy throwing combinations off his right jab. Demarco lands a left uppercut. Alfaro is hesistant to counter; looking to land one big punch. Alfaro is getting closer after firing some hooks. (Scored for Demarco 10-9)Round 4: Alfaro starts to let his hands go more. Demarco is controlling the pace of the fight with his jab. Alfaro scores with a left hook & overhand right as the bell rings to end the round. (Scored for Demarco 10-9)

Round 5: Swelling starts to appear under Alfaro's left eye. Demarco hurt Alfaro with a left uppercut as Alfaro charged forward. Alfaro lands a hard left hook. (Scored for Demarco 10-9)

Round 6: Demarco scores with a right hook-straight left combination. Alfaro lands a left uppercut inside as Demarco is in the corner. Demarco throws a flurry. (Scored for Demarco 10-9)

Round 7: Alfaro is still working to close the gap. Demarco is controlling the distance with his jab. (Scored for Demarco 10-9)

Round 8: Demarco is scoring at ease now. (Left uppercut-right hook-right to the body) He continues to beat Alfaro to the punch and time him as he presses forward. (Scored for Demarco 10-9)Round 9: Alfaro pushes Demarco back as he lands an overhand right. Demarco counters with a combination. Alfaro lands another overhand right. Alfaro closes the gap, but Demarco fires a straight left. Alfaro scores with body shots as Demarco is against the ropes. (Scored for Alfaro 10-9)Round 10: Demarco scores with a right uppercut. A vicious right hook sends Alfaro into the ropes. This should have been ruled a knockdown, but referee Joe Cortez did not signal for one. (A knockdown needs to be scored if the ropes prevent a fighter from falling to the canvas as a result of a punch landing.) The action continued as Demarco swarmed Alfaro with straight lefts and right hooks. A right hook from Demarco sent Alfaro down to his knees. Alfaro rose to his feet, but Demarco floored him again with another right hook. Alfaro got up a second time. Demarco was about to score another knockdown when Cortez stopped the fight after Alfaro took a knee, which resulted in the 3rd and final knockdown of the bout.

Overall Summary: Antonio Demarco continues to roll along, adding another victory to his resume in the highly competitive lightweight division. Demarco controlled the distance the entire fight by utilizing a strong and effective right jab. All of Demarco's combinations came off of it and he prevented Alfaro from closing the gap. Demarco constantly moved into a position where Alfaro could not counter him after he threw his punches. Alfaro proved to be tough, but was ineffective due to the lack of throwing a jab to close the distance. This also led to Alfaro getting continually beaten to the punch as Demarco landed a series of sharp left uppercuts and right hooks to slow him from pressing forward. Hang a punching bag without drilling with a heavy bag stand..

Alfaro started to let his hands go more in the 4th round, but Demarco was still dictating the pace of the fight. In the 5th round, Alfaro started to have swelling under his left eye, but the tough fighter from Nicaragua continued to charge toward Demarco. The inability of Alfaro trying to close the distance without using an effective jab began to take a toll on him. Demarco started to score at ease with his punches in the 8th round. Surprisingly, Alfaro really started to pressure Demarco in the 9th round. He hit Demarco with an overhand right and followed it with some quality body punching as Demarco was against the ropes. This proved to be Alfaro's most effective round in the fight. However, Demarco would come back strong and end this bout in the 10th round.

Demarco sent Alfaro into the ropes when he connected with a vicious right hook. This should have been scored a knockdown at this point, but the action continued. Demarco went on to floor Alfaro twice with right hooks. (See Summary of Round 10) After rising to his feet a second time, Alfaro took a knee signaling the 3rd knockdown as referee Joe Cortez stopped the bout before Demarco could land more damaging punches.

A possible next opponent for Antonio Demarco could be KO artist Edwin Valero (25-0, 25 KO's) from Venezuela. However, this fight has obstacles to overcome before it takes place in the United States. Edwin Valero and his family were denied a visa to come to the United States. In a recent interview with fightnews.com, Valero said the following to Robert Coster: "I really feel that the decision has been a political retaliation for my being a supporter of President Hugo Chavez. I don’t plan to appeal personally. If my promoter informs me that the US authorities plan to change their stance, then I will travel and fight in the USA. Otherwise, I won’t go back and solicit a visa in my name."

Before Edwin Valero started his professional career, he suffered a fractured skull in a motorcycle accident on February 5, 2001 in Venezuela. He was not wearing a safety helmet. Valero had surgery to remove a blood clot. It was reported on January 17, 2003, Valero's Venezuelan doctor cleared him to fight again. However, he was not issued a license to fight in the United States. In January 2004, Valero was supposed to fight on HBO's Boxing After Dark, but failed an MRI due to brain scan irregularities. Valero continued to fight outside the United States and will also not be allowed to fight here until he is medically cleared from an authorizing state athletic commission.

For Valero to meet Demarco, Valero must win his upcoming bout in Venezuela on December 19th against Hector Velasquez. If both fighters continue to win, I see a match up happening down the road, but it's hard to vision it ever taking place in the United States.

Saturday, October 24, 2009

In a successful heavyweight debut, Tomasz Adamek (39-1, 27 KO's) moved up from cruiserweight and destroyed Andrew Golota (41-8, 33 KO's) in 5 rounds in Poland tonight. Adamek beat Golota to the punch from the opening bell. Golota suffered a cut over his right eye and was dropped in the first round by a crisp combination. After that, Golota pressed forward and appeared to be looking for that big, one punch knockout. Adamek stood his ground and went punch for punch with the former heavyweight contender. Golota was sluggish and had no defense for the blistering punches Adamek was throwing and landing. Adamek had a significant advantage with his hand and foot speed. In the beginning of the fifth round, Adamek dropped Golota with a big left hook. Golota rose to his feet, but Adamek charged forward and blitzed him with a series of punches, prompting the referee to stop the bout.

What does this victory mean for Tomasz Adamek? Well, Golota is a washed up heavyweight, who was once a formidable heavyweight contender. But, Adamek still defeated a real heavyweight. He must get some credit for that. What's next for Adamek? Adamek could possibly face one of the Klitschko brothers, which would be a mega-fight especially in Europe with all of Poland behind Adamek and the Ukraine and Germany supporting Wladimir and/or Vitali Klitschko. Adamek looked impressive tonight in his first bout as a heavyweight. However, the question remains: Can Adamek defeat a heavyweight that is in his prime? Hang a punching bag without drilling with a heavy bag stand.

Round 1: Both fighters are feeling each other out. Hernandez appears to be the aggressor. Hernandez was busier than Frias and landed more punches. (Scored for Hernandez)

Round 2: Hernandez is out throwing and out landing Frias. He is landing most of his punches on the body of Frias. (Scored for Hernandez)

Round 3: Frias lands a right hook. Hernandez is busy, but does not possess much power behind his punches. He is really going to work on Frias' body. Frias needs to throw more punches. Hernandez throws some of his punches from too far away. (Scored for Hernandez)

Round 4: Hernandez lands a solid right. Hernandez hits Frias in the body with a straight right.(Scored for Hernandez)

Round 6: Frias hits Hernandez with a straight left. Hernandez is really doing a good job of working the body. Hernandez lands a straight right. (Scored for Hernandez)

Round 7: Hernandez has a slight edge in hand speed and is able to beat Frias to the punch. Hernandez keeps going right at him. (Scored for Hernandez)

Round 8: Hernandez continues to land his body punches. Frias tries to hold him off with his counter punching. (Scored for Hernandez)

Round 9:Hernandez is still landing his left hook to the body. Hernandez lands a solid right and unloads a barrage of body punches with Frias' back to the ropes. (Scored for Hernandez)

Round 10: Frias landed a solid right hook followed by a straight left. A straight left momentarily stuns Hernandez. Frias follows it with a crisp right hook to Hernandez's head. Hernandez's mouthpiece fell out. Frias hits Hernandez with a clean straight left. (Scored for Frias)Overall Summary: In the welterweight main event, Freddy Hernandez (26-1, 18 KO's) won a 10 round unanimous decision over Damian Frias (16-2, 7 KO's). All three judges scored the bout 98-92 or 8 rounds to 2. I scored the bout 99-91 or 9 rounds to 1 for Hernandez.

The 30 year old Hernandez dominated the entire fight using his aggression and body punching with the exception of the last round. He beat Frias to the punch all fight, but did not have the power to finish him. Hernandez went to the body often, usually scoring with his crisp left hook. He repeatedly imposed his will on Frias forcing him to fight backing up. Frias, who is a southpaw, came on late and landed some solid, clean shots in the 10th round. Hernandez appeared momentarily hurt after taking a straight left on the chin. However, Hernandez did the smart thing by tying up Frias when he was on the attack to weather the storm and take the decision victory.

Coming into the fight, not only did Hernandez have an edge with his professional experience, but he also possessed an edge with his amateur background as well. Hernandez fought 54 amateur bouts to Frias' 3. Hang a punching bag without drilling with a heavy bag stand.

Round 1:Seeger takes the role of the aggressor. Seeger lands a counter left hook. (Scored for Seeger)Round 2: With Seeger in the corner, Fonseca nails him with body shots and a left uppercut. Fonseca lands a straight left. (Scored for Fonseca)Round 3: A straight left from Fonseca pushes Seeger back. Fonseca lands a right uppercut. Seeger lands consecutive jabs. Seeger hits Fonseca with a straight right. Fonseca fires and lands a straight left. (Scored for Fonseca)

Round 4: Fonseca nails Seeger with a straight left. Fonseca is continually timing Seeger coming in. Seeger lands a straight right to the body and head of Fonseca. (Scored for Fonseca) Round 5: Fonseca is controlling the pace of the fight. When Seeger does something good, Fonseca counters him. In close quarters, Fonseca lands a straight left. Seeger counters with a straight right. (Scored for Fonseca)

Round 6: Seeger lands 3 straight rights in a row. Fonseca comes back with a straight left. Seeger lands a left hook. Seeger out worked Fonseca this round. (Scored for Seeger)Round 7: Seeger is imposing his will. He tagged Fonseca with some solid straight rights and left hooks. (Scored for Seeger)

Round 8: Fonseca nails Seeger with a straight left. Seeger lands a solid straight right. Fonseca counters with a straight left. Seeger is taking the fight to Fonseca.(Scored for Seeger) See the speed bag platforms at BoxingDepot.com

Round 9: Fonseca nails Seeger with a series of straight lefts. Another straight left from Fonseca sends Seeger down and into the ropes. The referee stops the bout.Overall Summary: In a super bantamweight bout, Victor Fonseca (17-0 9 KO's) remained unbeaten after stopping a tough Al Seeger (28-5, 22 KO's) in 9 rounds. In the first round, Seeger was the aggressor and put a lot of pressure on Fonseca. Then, the southpaw Fonseca started to dominate in the middle rounds. Seeger started to have trouble in getting his punches off first. This occurred for 2 reasons: First, Seeger brought his hands back low after unleashing a punch and it led to him getting hit often. Secondly, Fonseca was doing a nice job of keeping his lead foot (right foot) outside of Seeger's lead foot (left foot). As a result, Seeger was kept off balanced as Fonseca was able to constantly get into a better position to land his punches especially his straight left.

Seeger got a burst of energy in round six and started to get to Fonseca. Fonseca's punch output dropped and he started to look a little lackluster. Seeger closed the gap by keeping the pressure on and landed some solid straight rights. While Seeger started to take a few rounds, Fonseca was still landing some flush straight lefts to Seeger's face. In the 9th round, Fonseca found a home again for his straight left. A hard, straight left sent Seeger down and into the ropes. The referee immediately stopped the bout because Seeger was taking a lot of clean punches.

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Round 1: Dirrell is controlling range with his jab. He switched to a southpaw stance and Froch landed a few punches. (Scored for Dirrell)

Round 2: Both fighters are feeling each other out. Not much action, but Dirrell is busier with the jab. (Scored for Dirrell)

Round 3: Dirrell's southpaw stance and hand speed are keeping Froch away. Froch starts to close the gap and lands a straight right counter punch. (Scored for Froch)

Round 4: Dirrell lands a left hook -straight right combination to Froch's head. Dirrell lands a straight left in the southpaw stance. Froch is aggressive toward the end of the round. (Scored for Dirrell)

Round 5: Dirrell lands a right. Then, he lands a straight left to Froch's midsection. (Scored for Dirrell)

Round 6: Froch lands a right off a clinch. Dirrell lands a quick counter left. A lot of hitting on the break and holding going on. (Scored for Froch)

Round 8: Dirrell lands an overhand right, but Froch counters with a stinging left hook that dazed Dirrell. (Scored for Froch)

Round 9: Froch is closing gap. He lands a right with Dirrell on the ropes. (Scored for Froch)

Round 10: Dirrell lands a straight left. Froch jabs and then lands a right. Dirrell receives a one point deduction from the referee for excessive holding. Froch rushed in and Dirrell caught him with a sharp left hook. Froch was on wobbly legs as the round ended. (Scored for Dirrell, but is Even because of the point deduction)

Round 11: Froch hit Dirrell with punches in the corner. Froch got nailed with a left hook from Dirrell. Then, Froch lands a left hook. Dirrell has swelling on his forehead above his left eye. (Scored for Dirrell)

Round 12: Mostly, Dirrell boxes and stays away, but when they engage he still beats Froch to the punch. Froch wasn't close to landing a punch this round. (Scored for Dirrell)

Overall Summary: Carl Froch won a 12 round split decision over Andre Dirrell. Official scores were 115-112 (twice) for Froch and 114-113 for Dirrell. I scored the bout 115-112, 7 rounds to 4 with one even for Andre Dirrell. I had Dirrell winning round 10, but I scored it even after he was deducted one point for excessive holding.

Andre Dirrell had a superior edge in hand speed. He used the entire ring to his advantage and controlled the range very effectively. Froch did not land many punches, but half the ones he did land were effective. Dirrell was beating Froch to the punch for the majority of the bout. However, Dirrell did hold excessively after landing his punches. Throughout the fight, Froch hit Dirrell behind the head, but Dirrell was also putting his head down during the clinches.

Dirrell fought too conservatively for fighting in Froch's hometown of Nottingham, England. It should not happen, but it often does where a fighter gets the benefit of a "hometown decision." Tonight, Andre Dirrell was a victim of a bad decision from the judges. While it is an unfortunate decision loss, Dirrell could have engaged more to help his cause. Dirrell had a dominating edge in hand speed and could have taken the initiative more often because he was already beating Froch to the punch almost the entire fight. In a way, Dirrell boxed like he was in the amateurs, trying to score from a distance and tie up. The hardest, crisp punches that Dirrell landed occurred when Froch forced him to let his hands go. Get boxing gloves by Everlast and Ringside.

For Froch, he could not catch the speedy 2004 Middleweight Olympic Bronze medalist. Froch tried to trap Dirrell against the ropes and for the most part, he was unsuccessful doing it. Well, Froch may have been lucky to get this victory and 2 points tonight, but he has a lot to make up for in the foot speed department going forward in Showtime's "Super Six" Tournament.

Next up for Carl Froch will be Denmark's Mikkel Kessler. As for Dirrell, he will be facing the very tough Arthur Abraham, who defeated Jermain Taylor in Germany earlier in the night.